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Quality Handbook supplement 13A - Admissions for taught course guidance

Find guidance on admissions for taught courses, detailing transparent application processes, fair and consistent assessment, communications with applicants, support for international students, staff training, and outreach activities.

Latest version as of September 2026.

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1. Application process

1.1 Applications are assessed against transparent entry requirements which are provided by each School and are reviewed annually. The entry requirements for all courses are made available to all applicants in the prospectus, the NTU website and where applicable, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) Course Profiles.

1.2 The Admissions Team processes undergraduate, postgraduate and professional taught courses applications to decision. Wherever necessary, including but not limited to occasions when an applicant is applying as a mature student, for advanced entry or for courses requiring interview or work, Admissions Tutors from the appropriate School will also be involved in the admission decision. All decisions are monitored centrally to ensure regulatory compliance, fairness and consistency and all Admissions Tutors are trained by the Admissions team prior to commencing decision making.

1.3 The University may request further information to help aid the decision-making process. Details of such assessment are made clear in advance to applicants on each Course Profile to ensure that entry requirements for all courses are transparent and fair to applicants before applying.

1.4 Where face-to-face meetings take place with applicants in order to make judgements about admissions, Schools will ensure that staff and student peers involved have the appropriate training to undertake the face-to-face assessment(s).

1.5 The University adheres to the Good Practice Statement for Interviews, produced by Supporting Professionalism in Admissions (SPA), for all of its courses. A summary of the Best Practice for Interviews is available on the Admissions SharePoint site and is reviewed annually.

1.6 School staff and Admissions Tutors are supported in delivering fairness and transparency in the operation of selection processes by the University’s Good Practice Guide for Interviews, internal process documents and the Guide for Admissions Tutors which are available on the Admissions SharePoint site.

1.7 Following consideration of the application, applicants will receive a decision by email. For UCAS applicants the decision will be visible on UCAS Track. For non-UCAS applicants the communication will be via the online Applicant Portal as well as by email and, where necessary, include details of any conditions of offer or reasons for rejection.

1.8 The offer email will inform applicants of the obligations placed on prospective students at the time the offer is made and applicants will be informed of the Enrolment Conditions for which they will be signing up, if they are successful in meeting all the conditions of offer and subsequently enrol with the University.

1.9 Applicants who are successful in receiving an offer will be asked to accept the offer within a given timeframe, or where applicable, according to the regulations of the scheme by which they have applied e.g. UCAS and the Department for Education postgraduate teacher training route. Applicants failing to accept their offer by the deadline may have their application withdrawn and will need to request in writing for their application to be reactivated following which, any decision will be subject to the availability of places at the time of the request and not the point of withdrawal.

2. Further information for international applicants

How to apply

2.1 Advice for international applicants on how to apply for full-time undergraduate courses through the UCAS system is available on the UCAS website. For further information on how to apply to the University for postgraduate or professional courses, applicants will need to refer to the relevant prospectus or the international pages on the University’s website.

2.2 International applicants applying for full-time undergraduate courses should normally apply through UCAS. However, for applicants only interested in applying to NTU, direct applications will be accepted under the UCAS-approved Record of Prior Acceptance (RPA) scheme. Further information and advice can be found on the NTU website.

English Language

2.3 The standard University requirements for English language can be found on the NTU website.

2.4 The websites ielts.org and pearsonpte.com offer advice and information relating to English language test centres.

Pre-sessional English for Academic Purposes (PEAP)

2.5 Applicants who do not meet the English language requirements may be offered a place on the condition that they successfully complete a PEAP course at the University’s Language Centre before the commencement of their course.

2.6 The PEAP courses are designed to help applicants improve their English language skills in preparation for entry to a course at the University.

Scholarships for overseas fee-paying students

2.7 The University offers a range of scholarships to international (non-EU) applicants who are already holding an offer at NTU for their chosen course of study.

3. Applicant communications

3.1 The communications to applicants are broadly split into two categories:

  1. Service messages which directly update the applicant (and nominated agent where applicable) on the progress of their application and explicitly state to the applicant any requirements for action;
  2. Conversion messages which are designed to provide further information and guidance to support them through the admissions process and help them reach informed decisions about their options.

3.2 All applicants applying for courses will be included in a comprehensive communication plan tailored to their individual needs as identified by the information provided on their application.

3.3 The communications plan will usually include:

  1. updates on the progress of any applications submitted by each application starting with an acknowledgement;
  2. unique selling points about the course, academic School and University relevant to the chosen course;
  3. further information about relevant fees and funding; and details of any expected additional costs;
  4. confirmation of expected start dates;
  5. information about any non-academic pre-enrolment conditions, such as Disclosure Barring checks and Occupational Health forms;
  6. where applicable, feedback regarding any rejected applications or the means by which feedback can be requested.

3.4 The communication plans are regularly reviewed by the Head of Admissions and Applicant Services in conjunction with the Heads of Marketing and Student Recruitment, and the International Marketing Manager.

4. Training and development

4.1 The decisions on the majority of applications are made centrally by a team of dedicated, professional, suitably skilled, and trained admissions staff.

4.2 The training requirements of the team are regularly reviewed against the expectations of the Admissions Policy and other Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body (PSRB) requirements. Where necessary, new or refresher training is provided, and external expertise is sourced.

4.3 All admissions related staff are subject to continuing professional development and managed according to the skills, knowledge and competencies as outlined in their job descriptions and person specifications. All staff have access to the Admissions Staff Handbook and are notified of any minor changes via electronic notifications whereas major changes to processes are rolled out face-to-face during team briefings.

4.4 Where applications are referred to the academic School for a decision, training is provided to all staff involved and further guidance can be found on the Admissions Staff Handbook SharePoint site including a Good Practice Guide for Interviews and Guide for Admissions Tutors.

5. NTU Outreach Team

5.1 The University’s activities are delivered in schools and colleges as well as on the University’s six campuses. With the support of NTU staff and students, learners from Key Stage 2 to 5 are able to take part in a range of events and activities giving advice, guidance and a taste of university and NTU life. The University works with key influencers in the decision-making process, engages with parents and carers and has opportunities available to teachers and practitioners to support continuing professional development. NTU also trains and supports its students to act as classroom support assistants and mentors and to run volunteering activities in local schools. More information can be found on the NTU website.

6. Admissions Customer Charter

6.1 The Admissions Team is committed, through processes, systems and customer interactions, to providing exceptional service to our prospective students, applicants, influencers and enquirers. As such, we have a defined Customer Charter outlining mutual expectations in enquiries and application processing.

6.2 We are admissions experts, and will deal with your application in a fair, transparent and consistent manner:

  • Your application will be reviewed and assessed by trained admissions practitioners.
  • We will treat all applicants fairly and review information provided equitably.
  • We will be consistent in our decision-making, using all available evidence, defined processes and tools to make the best decisions we can.
  • We will publish clear admissions criteria on our website, including qualification entry requirements and details of additional assessments/requirements.
  • We will respond promptly to your enquiry or application and provide feedback where requested.

6.3 We will help you achieve your potential:

  • We are committed to equality and diversity of opportunity, giving students with the potential to succeed at NTU equal opportunity to join us.
  • We use contextual data, as well as information provided in the application, to level inequalities in education and background and be as flexible as possible.
  • Our Access and Participation Plan supports our commitment to creating opportunity and widening access.

6.4 We will be a skilled source of clear, consistent and accurate information:

  • Our offers will be straightforward, easy to understand and specific to you.
  • We will strive to keep things simple, using plain English, and provide you with accurate and up to date information.
  • We will make it clear how you can get in touch with us, if the information we provide is unclear or you need extra advice.
  • We will take care to understand your enquiry before responding.

6.5 We will be here to help you every step of the way:

  • There will always be a knowledgeable, polite and friendly person to help at every stage of your application and admission.
  • If we need something from you, we will get in touch to request this, and try to ask for everything we need at the same time.
  • We will do our best to accommodate your needs and explain why if we cannot do so.
  • It will be clear how, when and where you can get in touch with us for information and advice, and we will keep you regularly updated, setting clear expectations as to when you may receive a response.
  • We will actively listen to your feedback to become more helpful and improve our service.

6.6 We will keep things just between us, ensuring confidentiality:

  • We will safeguard all personal information provided, in compliance with the requirements of the Data Protection Act, Freedom of Information Act and General Data Protection Regulation.
  • We will only discuss your application with yourself or a named nominated contact.

Change History

Approval Date:

02.12.20

Nature of Revisions:

Updated customer charter.

Implementation Date:

01.03.21

Approval Date:

30.10.23

Nature of Revisions:

Removal of reference to UCAS Teacher Training.

Implementation Date:

30.10.23

Approval Date:

01.09.26

Nature of Revisions:

None

Implementation Date:

01.09.26